Castle Howard is one of the most beautiful and famous stately homes in North Yorkshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) north of York. Castle Howard is a baroque masterpiece, more palace than house, conceived by Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and executed by Sir John. The magnificent house sits in a landscape of rolling hills and unexpected monuments in the Howardian Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The house stands within extensive parkland and formal gardens, where peacocks roam. The setting is idyllic, but it is the house itself that draws the eye. Castle Howard is centered on a striking dome, with two wings enclosing a courtyard. To the north, the ground falls away to a large lake, to the south, formal gardens share space with more water features and several glorious follies.
The building of this extravagant showpiece home began in 1699 and not so surprising it took over 100 years to complete, spanning the lifetimes of three Earls. The 3rd Earl of Carlisle enlisted the help of his friend, dramatist John Vanbrugh. Vanbrugh, having never built anything before, recruited Nicholas Hawksmoor to assist him in the practical side of design and construction and between 1699 and 1702 the design evolved. Built from east to west, the house took shape in just under ten years. By 1725, when an engraving of the house appeared in Vitruvius Britannicus (The British Architect), most of the exterior structure was complete and its interiors opulently finished.
However, at the time of Vanbrugh’s death in 1726 the house was incomplete; it lacked a west wing as attention had turned to landscaping the gardens. It was still incomplete when the 3rd Earl died in 1738. Little could both men have guessed that, when the house came to be completed by Carlisle’s son-in-law Sir Thomas Robinson, Vanbrugh’s flamboyant baroque design would be brought back down to earth by the 4th Earl’s conservative Palladian wing. Robinson's grand plans called for the interior to be completed to a level of grandeur and convenience that would be unrivalled anywhere in the world, but his grand scheme fell afoul of the young 5th Earl's trustees, who refused to lavish more money on the project. When Robinson died in 1777 the interior was still unfinished, and thus it remained until 1811, when Charles Tatham completed the decoration.
A large part of the house was destroyed by a fire which broke out on 9 November 1940. The dome, the central hall, the dining room and the state rooms on the east side were entirely destroyed. Paintings depicting the Fall of Phaeton by Antonio Pellegrini were also damaged. In total, twenty pictures (including two Tintorettos and several valuable mirrors) were lost. The fire took the Malton and York Fire Brigades eight hours to bring under control.
Some of the devastated rooms have been restored over the following decades. In 1960–61 the dome was rebuilt and in the following couple of years, Pellegrini's Fall of Phaeton was recreated on the underside of the dome.
In 1982 the interior of the Library, shown here with the Garden Hall beyond, was designed and built to house the unique collection of 9000 books on art, architecture and topography, some of them acquired when the house was first built.
With 1,000 acres to explore, Castle Howard is a haven of peace and tranquility with extensive woodland walks, temples, lakes and fountains.
There is an arboretum called Ray Wood, and the Walled garden laid out in the early 18th century as a kitchen garden.
Ornamental water features are used to dramatic effect in the grounds and gardens at Castle Howard. It was the 3rd Earl who started work on creating the waterways which now dominate the landscape. The South Lake, below Temple Terrace, was fashioned in the early 1720s, while a decade later New River was widened from a natural stream. The Great Lake to the north of the house was built by the 5th Earl in the 1790s.
Statues, temples, monuments and follies dot the grounds and gardens of Castle Howard. The Mausoleum, Pyramid and New River Bridge draw the eye across the rolling Howardian Hills, while the Temple of the Four Winds provides breathtaking views across the impressive landscape.
The Howards have lived continuously in the house ever since it was built by Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, at the beginning of the 18th century – with only one brief interlude when it became a girls’ school during World War II.
Castle Howard's Interior
Lady Georgiana's Bedroom - The bedroom of Georgiana Cavendish, 6th Countess of Carlisle, from the 1830s until her death. The room is filled with 19th century portraits of the Howard family and their relations.
Lady Georgiana's Dressing Room - Known briefly as the Yellow Dressing Room in 1825 when it contained two French mahogany ladies' cabinets and a pair of mahogany Pembroke tables, this room was always used as Lady Carlisle's Dressing Room.
Castle Howard Dressing Room - During the 19th Century the room was used as Lord Carlisle's Dressing Room. The wallpaper, rose branch on gold ground, was bought from Maples in London in 1884 by the 9th Countess.
Castle Howard Bedroom - The earliest description of this room dates from c.1812 when it was known as Lady Morpeth's Dressing Room. By 1825 the room was briefly known as Lady Cawdor's Dressing Room before being used as Lord Carlisle, the sixth Earl's bedroom.
Antique Passage - Running the length of the house from east to west, the Antique Passage is lined with busts, statues, marble table tops and urns collected chiefly by the 4th Earl during his second visit to Italy in 1738-39.
The Great Hall - The Great Hall is the crowning masterpiece of Vanbrugh's design. From the outside the dome presents Castle Howard with a unique silhouette; on the inside the hall rises 70 feet into the air and is decorated with columns, carvings and painted frescos.
The High South - Recently restored and opened to the public following the fire of 1940, the view from the High South Balcony takes in the Great Hall beneath, the dome above and the masonry, ironwork and painted details of this vast space.
The Music Room - Originally known as the Blue Velvet Drawing Room and then briefly referred to as the Blue Dining Room, this room seems to have alternated between being a Drawing Room and a Billiard Room until becoming known as the Music Room in the early part of the 19th Century.
The Crimson Dining Room - Originally known as the State Bedchamber this room was decorated with yellow damask and dominated by a four poster bed. Later it doubled as a Billiard Room/Games Room and in 2002 it was renamed the Crimson Dining Room after the red silk damask that covers the walls.
The Turquoise Drawing Room - When the House was first built this room consisted of a small chamber used as Dressing Rooms with an adjacent closet; later in the century it was turned into a Drawing Room. In 2002 the room was refurbished and the walls covered in a turquoise damask which was specially designed and woven for the room.
The Long Gallery - Built by Sir Thomas Robinson in the 1750s the interior of the Long Gallery remained unfinished for half a century. Conceived of as a gallery in which to display paintings and sculpture it extends 160ft in length.
Untouched for over 140 years, the Howard family Chapel features painted frescos depicting designs by Charles Eamer Kempe and stained glass windows by Edward Burne Jones. These sit alongside gilded and fluted columns and under a high, coffered ceiling based on Holbein’s design for the Royal Chapel in St James’ Palace.
The Anglican chapel was decorated by Morris & Co., who were commissioned by Edward Howard, the younger brother of the 8th Earl of Carlisle. The elaborate design which incorporates Aesthetic and Arts & Crafts style influences as well as pre-Raphaelite, is so reminiscent of a Catholic place of worship, it featured as the Marchmain family chapel in both film and television adaptations of Brideshead Revisited.
Castle Howard's chapel has been transformed following the installation of new, environmentally friendly lighting, providing visitors with the opportunity to discover its ornate interior - which takes inspiration from the pre-Raphaelite style - in all its glory.
Each year for Christmas, Castle Howard is transformed when the house is hand decorated for the festive season. The cobbled stable courtyard will bustle with stalls selling a range of gifts, crafts and local produce, perfect for the festive season. Explore Castle Howard as night falls when the decorations, candle and firelight bring a magic to the elegant interiors. To add to the festive feel, there will be live music performed under the Christmas tree or by the roaring log fire every day. Beautifully decked out each Christmas a visit to Castle Howard is not to be missed.
Today, it remains home to the Howard family and visitors can discover dramatic interiors containing world-renowned collections, whilst friendly and knowledgeable guides share stories of the previous generations, the house and its history. Talk and tours take place on selected dates throughout the year, or can be booked privately for groups subject to availability. Children can explore with free illustrated trails, jump on the land train to the lakeside adventure playground (suitable for children of all ages, including adults), and in the summer take boat trips on the Great Lake (weather permitting). Visitors can also enjoy a seasonal menu at the Courtyard Café or pick up something to take away at the Coffee Shop.
The house stands within extensive parkland and formal gardens, where peacocks roam. The setting is idyllic, but it is the house itself that draws the eye. Castle Howard is centered on a striking dome, with two wings enclosing a courtyard. To the north, the ground falls away to a large lake, to the south, formal gardens share space with more water features and several glorious follies.
The building of this extravagant showpiece home began in 1699 and not so surprising it took over 100 years to complete, spanning the lifetimes of three Earls. The 3rd Earl of Carlisle enlisted the help of his friend, dramatist John Vanbrugh. Vanbrugh, having never built anything before, recruited Nicholas Hawksmoor to assist him in the practical side of design and construction and between 1699 and 1702 the design evolved. Built from east to west, the house took shape in just under ten years. By 1725, when an engraving of the house appeared in Vitruvius Britannicus (The British Architect), most of the exterior structure was complete and its interiors opulently finished.
However, at the time of Vanbrugh’s death in 1726 the house was incomplete; it lacked a west wing as attention had turned to landscaping the gardens. It was still incomplete when the 3rd Earl died in 1738. Little could both men have guessed that, when the house came to be completed by Carlisle’s son-in-law Sir Thomas Robinson, Vanbrugh’s flamboyant baroque design would be brought back down to earth by the 4th Earl’s conservative Palladian wing. Robinson's grand plans called for the interior to be completed to a level of grandeur and convenience that would be unrivalled anywhere in the world, but his grand scheme fell afoul of the young 5th Earl's trustees, who refused to lavish more money on the project. When Robinson died in 1777 the interior was still unfinished, and thus it remained until 1811, when Charles Tatham completed the decoration.
A large part of the house was destroyed by a fire which broke out on 9 November 1940. The dome, the central hall, the dining room and the state rooms on the east side were entirely destroyed. Paintings depicting the Fall of Phaeton by Antonio Pellegrini were also damaged. In total, twenty pictures (including two Tintorettos and several valuable mirrors) were lost. The fire took the Malton and York Fire Brigades eight hours to bring under control.
Some of the devastated rooms have been restored over the following decades. In 1960–61 the dome was rebuilt and in the following couple of years, Pellegrini's Fall of Phaeton was recreated on the underside of the dome.
In 1982 the interior of the Library, shown here with the Garden Hall beyond, was designed and built to house the unique collection of 9000 books on art, architecture and topography, some of them acquired when the house was first built.
With 1,000 acres to explore, Castle Howard is a haven of peace and tranquility with extensive woodland walks, temples, lakes and fountains.
There is an arboretum called Ray Wood, and the Walled garden laid out in the early 18th century as a kitchen garden.
Ornamental water features are used to dramatic effect in the grounds and gardens at Castle Howard. It was the 3rd Earl who started work on creating the waterways which now dominate the landscape. The South Lake, below Temple Terrace, was fashioned in the early 1720s, while a decade later New River was widened from a natural stream. The Great Lake to the north of the house was built by the 5th Earl in the 1790s.
Statues, temples, monuments and follies dot the grounds and gardens of Castle Howard. The Mausoleum, Pyramid and New River Bridge draw the eye across the rolling Howardian Hills, while the Temple of the Four Winds provides breathtaking views across the impressive landscape.
The Howards have lived continuously in the house ever since it was built by Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, at the beginning of the 18th century – with only one brief interlude when it became a girls’ school during World War II.
Castle Howard's Interior
Lady Georgiana's Bedroom - The bedroom of Georgiana Cavendish, 6th Countess of Carlisle, from the 1830s until her death. The room is filled with 19th century portraits of the Howard family and their relations.
Lady Georgiana's Dressing Room - Known briefly as the Yellow Dressing Room in 1825 when it contained two French mahogany ladies' cabinets and a pair of mahogany Pembroke tables, this room was always used as Lady Carlisle's Dressing Room.
Castle Howard Dressing Room - During the 19th Century the room was used as Lord Carlisle's Dressing Room. The wallpaper, rose branch on gold ground, was bought from Maples in London in 1884 by the 9th Countess.
Castle Howard Bedroom - The earliest description of this room dates from c.1812 when it was known as Lady Morpeth's Dressing Room. By 1825 the room was briefly known as Lady Cawdor's Dressing Room before being used as Lord Carlisle, the sixth Earl's bedroom.
Antique Passage - Running the length of the house from east to west, the Antique Passage is lined with busts, statues, marble table tops and urns collected chiefly by the 4th Earl during his second visit to Italy in 1738-39.
The Great Hall - The Great Hall is the crowning masterpiece of Vanbrugh's design. From the outside the dome presents Castle Howard with a unique silhouette; on the inside the hall rises 70 feet into the air and is decorated with columns, carvings and painted frescos.
The High South - Recently restored and opened to the public following the fire of 1940, the view from the High South Balcony takes in the Great Hall beneath, the dome above and the masonry, ironwork and painted details of this vast space.
The Music Room - Originally known as the Blue Velvet Drawing Room and then briefly referred to as the Blue Dining Room, this room seems to have alternated between being a Drawing Room and a Billiard Room until becoming known as the Music Room in the early part of the 19th Century.
The Crimson Dining Room - Originally known as the State Bedchamber this room was decorated with yellow damask and dominated by a four poster bed. Later it doubled as a Billiard Room/Games Room and in 2002 it was renamed the Crimson Dining Room after the red silk damask that covers the walls.
The Turquoise Drawing Room - When the House was first built this room consisted of a small chamber used as Dressing Rooms with an adjacent closet; later in the century it was turned into a Drawing Room. In 2002 the room was refurbished and the walls covered in a turquoise damask which was specially designed and woven for the room.
The Long Gallery - Built by Sir Thomas Robinson in the 1750s the interior of the Long Gallery remained unfinished for half a century. Conceived of as a gallery in which to display paintings and sculpture it extends 160ft in length.
Untouched for over 140 years, the Howard family Chapel features painted frescos depicting designs by Charles Eamer Kempe and stained glass windows by Edward Burne Jones. These sit alongside gilded and fluted columns and under a high, coffered ceiling based on Holbein’s design for the Royal Chapel in St James’ Palace.
The Anglican chapel was decorated by Morris & Co., who were commissioned by Edward Howard, the younger brother of the 8th Earl of Carlisle. The elaborate design which incorporates Aesthetic and Arts & Crafts style influences as well as pre-Raphaelite, is so reminiscent of a Catholic place of worship, it featured as the Marchmain family chapel in both film and television adaptations of Brideshead Revisited.
Castle Howard's chapel has been transformed following the installation of new, environmentally friendly lighting, providing visitors with the opportunity to discover its ornate interior - which takes inspiration from the pre-Raphaelite style - in all its glory.
Each year for Christmas, Castle Howard is transformed when the house is hand decorated for the festive season. The cobbled stable courtyard will bustle with stalls selling a range of gifts, crafts and local produce, perfect for the festive season. Explore Castle Howard as night falls when the decorations, candle and firelight bring a magic to the elegant interiors. To add to the festive feel, there will be live music performed under the Christmas tree or by the roaring log fire every day. Beautifully decked out each Christmas a visit to Castle Howard is not to be missed.
Today, it remains home to the Howard family and visitors can discover dramatic interiors containing world-renowned collections, whilst friendly and knowledgeable guides share stories of the previous generations, the house and its history. Talk and tours take place on selected dates throughout the year, or can be booked privately for groups subject to availability. Children can explore with free illustrated trails, jump on the land train to the lakeside adventure playground (suitable for children of all ages, including adults), and in the summer take boat trips on the Great Lake (weather permitting). Visitors can also enjoy a seasonal menu at the Courtyard Café or pick up something to take away at the Coffee Shop.